A black tea light holder glowing in the snow beside green ceramic Christmas trees

Handmade in Berkshire

Handmade for Christmas

Mugs, jugs, salt pigs and more, thrown by hand in my garden studio. Order by Friday 18 December for Christmas delivery.

  • Dishwasher and microwave safeMade for everyday use
  • Hard-wearing stonewareFired to last
  • Thrown by handNo two pieces quite the same
  • Tracked Royal Mail deliveryOr free click and collect

Christmas gifting

Gifts they'll use every day

Handmade pieces for the cook, the tea drinker and the person who has everything. Order by Friday 18 December for Christmas delivery.

Salt pigs, our best seller

Keeps salt dry and within pinching distance of the hob. Thrown by hand in eight glazes.

Shop all salt pigs

Spoon rests

Somewhere to put your spoon down while you cook, so the counter stays clean. Dozens of glazes, from £20.

Shop all spoon rests

How it's made

From clay to your kitchen cupboard

Every piece starts as a lump of clay in my garden studio and goes through the same careful steps.

  1. Throwing

    Throwing

    I wedge the clay to knock out any air bubbles, then shape each piece by hand on the wheel.

  2. Trimming

    Trimming

    Once a piece has dried to leather hard, I trim it to refine the shape. Mugs and jugs get their handles at this stage.

  3. First firing

    First firing

    A bisque firing at almost 1000°C turns fragile clay into ceramic that's ready for glaze.

  4. Glazing and final firing

    Glazing and final firing

    I pour glaze inside and brush three coats outside, then fire again at over 1200°C. Opening the kiln feels like unwrapping presents.

Katie smiling and holding one of her handmade mugs

Small-batch pottery from Berkshire

Meet the maker behind Katie L Thompson Designs

I'm Katie, a potter making functional stoneware in my Berkshire garden studio. Every piece is thrown by hand on the wheel to bring warmth to everyday life. What started as a birthday-gift pottery class has become my passion for making mindful, tactile ceramics.

Meet the maker